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British Chess Federation

Gothenburg 2005

Gothenburg, scene of this year’s European Team Championships, is a thriving, modern city of half a million people. Although a major Swedish port and a strong business and industrial centre, it is an attractive city to visit. The streets are spacious, the pace of life is relaxed and the welcome is friendly. Most people speak some English, which was a great help in restaurants, on the trams and in shops. This is a great European city, as is illustrated by the Konstmuseet, the art gallery, with works by the French Impressionists, Rembrandt, Rubens and Picasso as well as a fine Nordic collection. There are many places to stay, and these championships used the best. The glass-fronted Hotel Gothia Towers, where the players stayed, is connected to the Gothenburg Convention Centre, where the event took place, and together they provided comfortable and stylish surroundings for players, officials and visitors alike.

Both England Teams did well, fighting to the very last game, and both improved from their seedings of 18th to finish in 13th places. Fine performances were given by Luke McShane, 6/9, Danny Gormally, 5.5/8, Jovanka Houska, 6/9, and Heather Richards, 5.5/8. The Women’s Team result is especially good given that, unlike many of their opponents, they were without a coach. Jovanka Houska deserves special mention, combining her debut on Board 1 with captaining the Women’s Team.

Visitors were able to walk round the playing hall and see many chess stars: men like Ivanchuck, Korchnoi, Svidler and European Champion Nisipeanu; and women such as Maia Chiburdanidze, Alexandra Kosteniuk, Antoaneta Stefanova and Pia Cramling. Each team’s progress was clearly shown on display boards, and most games were visible unless they attracted a crowd. The commentary room featured live commentary on leading games delivered by well-known chess players, with some sessions in English by Nick de Firmian. An excellent bookshop was available and the café provided a range of snacks and sandwiches Swedish style. The organisers hope to host the 2010 Olympiads in the same venue. Certainly, these championships were extremely well organised and very pleasant to visit.

It was a pleasure witnessing the success of the England Teams, and the achievements of the younger players look promising for the future. It is very much to the BCF’s credit that it sent two such good teams without sponsorship. However, it remains true that in order to field the best teams with full support, the ECF (as it will be) will need sponsorship.

Susan McFarland
Former BCF Chief Executive